Vegan Tzatziki

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Vegan tzatziki is a cashew-based, dairy-free tzatziki that tastes amazingly similar to the traditional version. It’s light, creamy, fresh, and filled with cucumber and dill. And believe me when I say, it’s so good it will easily fool non-vegans as well.

Vegan tzatziki in a bowl next to pieces of celery.

Tzatziki has been a long time favorite of mine. It’s an ultra refreshing dip that’s a staple in Mediterranean cuisine. But if you’re vegan or looking for a dairy-free option, you’re in luck. With the help of raw cashews, this vegan tzatziki comes together in a snap.

What’s In Vegan Tzatziki?

If you’ve been following Downshiftology for a while, you’ve probably noticed my love for cashews. They’ve got this magical ability to transform into creamy, dairy-like recipes such as my vegan caramel cheesecake or vegan alfredo sauce.

In this recipe, we’re swapping greek yogurt for cashews. But don’t worry, it won’t taste like a puddle of blended cashews. In fact, I’d say it tastes just like traditional tzatziki but just a smidge lighter. Here’s what you’ll need to make it.

  • Cashews – Make sure to use raw cashews and not roasted and salted.
  • Water – To blend with the cashews for the ultimate creaminess.
  • Lemon Juice – For that bright pop fresh flavor.
  • Cucumber – The star ingredient in tzatziki.
  • Garlic – Just one garlic clove creates a lot of flavor when it’s blended.
  • Dill – Chopped dill adds herb-y goodness.
  • Salt – A small amount for seasoning.

Vegan Tzatziki Couldn’t Be Any Easier To Make

All you need for this recipe is a blender, sieve, and a little time to chill.

  1. Soak. Make sure to soak your cashews overnight. Then drain and rinse well the day of.
  2. Blend. Add the cashews, water, lemon juice, and garlic to a blender and blend for 1-2 minutes, until it’s nice and creamy.
  3. Squeeze. Place the shredded cucumber in a fine mesh sieve and press it down to remove the liquid. You can also use a nut milk bag.
  4. Stir. In a mixing bowl, add the cashew mixture, drained cucumber, dill and salt. Then give everything a stir.
  5. Chill. Let the mixture chill for about 30 minutes before serving. This will allow the flavors to meld together beautifully.

Vegan tzatziki in a white bowl with several celery sticks.

Ways To Use This Dip

This dip is perfect as a fresh and easy snack. But you can use it for just about anything and any meal.

Storing and Make Ahead Options

For the best texture and flavor, let this chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes to an hour before serving. This gives it time to cool after blending and lets the flavors meld together.

Have leftovers? Just store it in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the fridge.

A piece of celery dipping into the vegan tzatziki recipe in a bowl.

More Healthy Vegan Snacks

Don’t look past a few of these tasty, plant-based snacks. They’re filling, have tons of flavor, and will please any crowd.

Vegan tzatziki in a bowl garnished with dill and next to pieces of celery.

Vegan Tzatziki Recipe

5 from 20 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

Vegan tzatziki is a cashew-based, dairy-free dip that tastes just like the real thing. It's light, creamy, and filled with fresh ingredients. Watch the video below to see how I make it!

Video

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked 4-6 hours (or overnight)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 medium cucumber, peeled and shredded
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions 

  • Soak your cashews overnight. Then drain and thoroughly rinse them.
  • Blend the cashews, water, lemon juice and garlic in a high-powered blender for 1-2 minutes, or until creamy.
  • Place the shredded cucumber in a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and press down to remove excess liquid. Alternatively, you could use a nut milk bag to sqeeze out the liquid.
  • Pour the cashew mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the drained cucumber, dill and salt, then stir together to combine.
  • Chill for 30 minutes before serving.

Lisa’s Tips

  • Note that the mixture will thicken a bit after it’s fully cooled.
  • These are the raw cashews I buy in bulk for all of my vegan sauce recipes.

Nutrition

Calories: 125kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 198mg | Potassium: 186mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 28IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: dressing, sauce
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
Keyword: Dairy-Free Tzatziki Sauce, Vegan Tzatziki, Vegan Tzatziki Recipe, Vegan Tzatziki Sauce
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

5 from 20 votes (1 rating without comment)

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44 Comments

  1. The recipe is good I think next time I will use cashew yoghurt the texture would be better this is my own preference it’s still very smooth and yummy . I only used 1/4 cup each water and lemon juice , I blended with my high speed blender I am glad I only used 1/4 cup water , you can’t take it away if it’s too runny , you can add more lemon juice if it’s not acidic enough or water to thin out , I wait until I blend my cucumbers than I adjust if needed . Thank you5 stars

      1. Thanks for the reply. I made it with celery instead of cucumber – it was fine when I pulled it out of the freezer the next week for the Academy Awards party! Everyone LOVED it :)

  2. Perfect vegan tzatziki. Thank you for using dill! Everyone I know uses mint, but I find dill sooooo much better. 5 stars

  3. How much is “half a cucumber?”  there are a ton of cucumbers out there.  English, watery, persian, etc.

  4. WOW this is an awesome recipe it tastes just like a dairy based tzatziki.  I let it sit overnight so the flavours could blend together.  Thank you so much my dinner guests never knew lol!5 stars

  5. Just tried it.
    Super duper.
    Very similar tasting as the tzatziki with the Greek yogurt, which i cannot eat anymore.
    Thank you5 stars

  6. AMAZING! So much better than the recipes that use coconut milk. I didn’t have fresh dill so used about 3/4 T of dried dill. I have a Vitamix blender so dumped the cup of cashews into the blender, covered with just-boiled water, waited 10 min (while dealing with the cucumber), drained, rinsed in cold water, drained again and threw back into the blender with other ingredients as outlined. This recipe is a treasure, as are many of Lisa’s recipes. Thanks for sharing Lisa!5 stars

  7. Made this for the first time last night to go over a lentil greens rice bowl. It was delicious! Cashews make such good vegan dip/sauce substitutes. I added a small amount of lemon peel and mint on a whim and it seemed to work. Will definitely be making again.5 stars

  8. Made this last night with the Vitamix food processor. Since I had already dirtied it to finely shred the cucumber (which it did perfectly), I decided I might as well make the whole thing in the food processor. It was not perfectly creamy like yours appears (still great), so I think the blender would have done a better job. I’ll try that next time. This was delicious and the best part is that I don’t have to worry about being doubled over with cramps from lactose. Ate it with cucumber and carrot spears, and it refrigerated well and is just as good today, did not separate at all.5 stars

  9. I made this vegan tzatziki sauce to pair with Lisa’s falafel recipe. Such a great combo. I always prefer tzatziki with falafel over tahini. This was my first time trying vegan tzatziki and I thought it turned out very well. It’s creamy and delicious. I did bump up the garlic because I can never have too much garlic but that’s the only thing I modified. Will definitely be making this again!5 stars

  10. This truly is the BEST vegan tzatziki ever! I am not vegan, but I cannot eat dairy due to food intolerances and this was SO delicious! My husband (who can eat dairy) absolutely LOVED this! Thank you so much for yet another amazing recipe, Lisa!5 stars

  11. I put this on my spiralized zucchini & carrots as I had some of it frozen but no fresh cucumbers or avocados. It was spectacular- Thank you5 stars

  12. I tried this today, turned out so delicious and my family loved it to the core. The cashew and the lemon juice replicated the original version. Thanks, sharing.5 stars

  13. I LOVE tzatziki, so this is definitely something I’ll be trying out. Your recipe looks super fresh! Love it!5 stars

  14. How cool and refreshing is that? I can’t wait to share with my friends and family who are vegan.5 stars

  15. FWIW, the voiceover in the YouTube video says to add grated zucchini to this recipe. Thought you’d want to know. 

    Love the new video!

    1. Thanks Theresa! Yes, sorry about that – I must have had zucchini on the brain. Lol. I did add a correction note on the video, but I’ll add it here as well. :)